The majority of thieves and violent criminals who receive a custodial sentence of less than 12 months go on to re-offend within a year of their release, the public spending watchdog has found.

This re-offending costs the taxpayer an estimated £10 billion – or £400 for every household – each year, the National Audit Office (NAO), which vets and monitors public spending, said.

The NAO says too little is being done to tackle the problem, which is linked to the criminality…